Device for operating coupling-locks.



PATENTED JULY 10, 1906.

LE GRAND PARISH. v DEVICE FOR OPERATING COUPLING LOOKS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1905 2 S i EETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JULY 10, 1906. LE GRAND PARISH. DEVICE FOR OPERATING COUPLING LOOKS.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 6. 1905.

' UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

L-E GRAND PARISH, OF CLEVELAND, oHro. DEVICE FOROIPERATING COUPLING-LOCKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed February 6, 1905. semi No. 244.304.

Patented July 10, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LE GRAND PARISH, a citizen of the United 'States, residing at Cleveland, in the State of Ohio, have invent- 5 ed certain newand useful Improvements in provide an apparatus wherein the parts are so constructed and arranged as to permit of the ready mounting and removal of the uncoupling lever, after the brackets, which support the lever, have been securely attached to the car body, and one in which means are' provided to hold the lever in position for uncoupling when desired. A further object of my invention is to provide a supporting bracket from which the uncoupling lever can be readily removed and another substituted therefor, when from any cause the lever has 5 becom'eso badly bent or twisted as to render. it inoperative. These objects and other advantages which may hereinafter a pear, I attain by means of the constructioni ustrated in preferred form in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a front elevation of one half of a freight car body having my improved apparatus applied thereto, the uncoupling lever being shown in position for coupling;

- Figure 2 is a horizontal section through the car body, showing my improved mechanism in plan, with the parts inthe same relative positions as in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical section of the same,

taken on the line (11) of Figure 1, looking toward the outside of the car Figures 4 and 5, a plan view and front elevation respectively of the bracket supporting the inner end of the uncoupling lever, adjacent to the coupler head Figure 6 is a cross'section of the same taken on the line (12) of Figurej;

Figure 7 is a rear elevation of one of the lugs, illustrating the manner in which it is slotted: and countersunk for the reception of the removable bolt;

Figures 8 and9, a front and side elevationrespectively of the bracket supporting the outer end of the uncoupling lever, and

FigurelO is a plan view of the same.

In devices of this kind as heretofore constructed it frequently happens that when it is desired to remove the uncoupling'lever, owing to its having become so bent or twisted from-accidental or rough usage as to render it inoperative, it is almost impossible to do so without first removing one or both of the supporting brackets from the car body, as it is necessary in such constructions to pull the lever through either the, inside or outside bracket, and in order to overcome this very objectionable feature I provide a form of preferred form, as for instance that shown in.

the accompanying drawings, which consists of a straight main portion provided at its outer end with an operating handle 14, and at its .inner end adjacent to the coupler head with an arm 15. The straight portion has a slight ofiset at its center where it passes around the brake-shaft, to allow of its being rotated and shifted toward and from the coupler head when .it is desired to release or look the coupler. The arm-15isconn'ected to the locking-pin. of the coupler, which it operates, by means of a chain 16, in the usual manner and is free to follow the forward and backward movement of the coupler, when the car is being hauled or pushed, by reason of thelong bearing seat formed on the inner bracket, to be presently described.

The lever 13 is supported at its inner end, adj a'cent-to the arm 15, bymeans of a bracket 17, which consists of an elongated base or bodyportion 18, secured to the upper side of the bufier or dead-wood 19 of the car body,

by means of the through bolts 20. Acertain amount of adjustment of the bracket is provided'for by means of slots 21, formed in the base-plate through which the bolts 20 pass. The bracket is also rovided with a long bearin seat 22 exten 'n at right angles to the ase-plate, u on w 'ch the lever 13 rests andis free to s do back and forth,

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but is held'in place as against upward movement by means of-a bolt 23, secured in upwardly projecting lugs 24 formed at opposite ends of the seat22.

As there is not sufficient space between the rear lug 24 and the body of the car to permit of the insertion'and removal of the bolt 23 in the usual manner, the lugs are provided with slots 25 for this purpose and also have countersunk depressions in their outer faces for the reception of the nut and head of the bolt. The depression in the rear lug is square and of a corresponding size to fit the head of the bolt snugly and prevent its turning when in position, while the corresponding depression in the forward lug is round and of a sufiicient diameter to permit of the rotation of the nut upon the bolt. When it is desired toinsert or'remove the bolt it is only necessary to unscrew the nut a suflicient distance to permit the nut and the bolt head to clear the outer faces of the lugs 24, as there is sufficient space between the rear lug and the car-body to permit ofthe withdrawal of the bolt for this purpose. The nut may be locked in position on the bolt by a washer and a cotter-pin as illustrated in Figures 4:, 5 and 6, or in any other suitable manner. By means of this construction it will be seen that the lever 13 can be removed from the bracket 17 at any time without disturbing the bracket.

The lever 13 is sup orted at its outer end adjacent to the hand e 14 by a bracket 26,

which consists of a base plate 27, bolted to the face of the car body and lugs 28 projecting outwardly therefrom, between which the lever rests. A bolt 29 passes through the outer ends of the lugs 28 and serves to hold the lever in place but leaving it free to be rotated or shifted transversely.

The bracket 26 is further provided with a horizontally projecting plate or step 30,

- a uts.

a ainst which the handle 14 of the leverv 13 The'outer face of the step 30 is inclined in such a manner that when the lever is shifted inwardly'toward the coupler head the handle 14 and arm 15 will be held in their raised or uncoupling position and will re main so until the lever is again shifted outwardly, when theywill be free to fall into the lower or coupling position.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that when the bolts 23 and,29 are removed the uncoupling lever can beeasily lifted from the supporting brackets and another lever inserted in place thereof without in any way disturbin the positions of the brackets on the car ody no matter how badly the lever to be removed may have been bent or twisted.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new anddesire to secure byLetters Patent, is thezfollowing:

1. In a devlce for operating coupler locks, the combination with an uncoupling lever, of two brackets in which said lever is mounted, each having removable means for retaining the lever therein, substantially as described.

2. In a device for operating coupler locks, the combination with an uncoupling lever, of two brackets in which said lever is mounted, one of said brackets being adapted to hold the lever in position for uncoupling, together with removable means for retaining the lever in the brackets, substantially as described.

3. In a device for operatingcouplerlocks,

the combination with an uncoupling lever, of 7 two bracketsin which said lever is mounted, each of said brackets consisting of a. body portion and projecting lugs adapted to form seats for the le er, together with removable bolts connecting the lugs, substantially as described.

4. In a device for operating coupler locks, the combination-with an uncoupling lever, of two brackets, in which said lever is mounted, located adjacent to its outer and inner ends respectively, the outer bracket having a seat for thelever and an inclined step adapted to hold the lever in position for uncoupling, the inner bracket having a long bearing seat for the lever, extending at an angle to the body portion thereof, together with removable olts adapted to hold the lever on the seats, substantially as described.

5. In a device for operating coupler locks,

the combination with an uncoupling lever, of a bracket for holding the same, consisting of a body portion and a long bearing seat extending at an angle thereto, together with upwardly projecting-lugs located at opposite ends of the seat and a bolt connecting said lugs, substantially as described. I

6. In a device for operating coupler locks, the combination with an uncouplingflever, of a bracket for holding the same, consistingof a body portion and a long bearing seat ex tending at an angle thereto together with upwardly projectin lugs located at opposite ends of the seat an havin their outer ends slotted for the reception 0 a bolt, substantially as described.

7. In a device for operating coupler locks, the combination with an uncouplin lever of a bracket supporting the same, said bracket having a bearing seat and an inclined step adapted to hold the lever in position for uncoupling, together with removable means for retaining the lever in the bracket, substantially as described. 1

8. In a device for operating coupler locks, the combination with an uncouplin lever of a bracket supporting the same, sai bracket consisting of a body portion, lugs extending at an angle therefrom to .form a seat for the si ed my name inthe presence of the two leveraa, bolt gonneftin slaidldlu s and an insu scribed witnesses. cine ste aa te to o t e everin osi-' 4 tion for u coup' ,when said lever is shyfted LE GRAND PARISH 5 toward the coup er head, substantially as Witnesses:

described. I PAUL CARPENTER,

In testimony whereof I have hereunder ALBERT GRANT MILLER. 

